You're Not Mine
by onceuponanevilregal
Summary: Tumblr Prompt; Daniel comes back in the real world and see's Regina and remembers everything. He doesn't approve of what she's done and Regina finally gives up on her happiness. Until Henry realizes he does love his mother. How will he bring her from the brink of dispair? No Swan Queen
1. Chapter 1

If you're still taking prompts. Not sure if this has been suggested, but Daniel comes back in the real world and see's Regina and remembers everything.

The curse brought Regina her happy ending. It couldn't bring back her Daniel but it allowed her to start fresh and bring Snow White to the same level of unhappiness as her. Which is all that mattered. And for 28 years, it worked. But when Emma came, the curse started to fall apart. Regina felt herself once again losing and then to add insult to injury, Daniel _had _come back.

It had been just another, curse-breaking-slowly day in Storybrooke. Regina walked down the windy streets on her way to pick up Henry from school. Once again, he was resistant, not wanting to go with her but, knowing he had no other choice, followed along.

"Henry, we don't have time for this. Hurry up," her voice was exasperated. When he failed to catch up, Regina stopped and spun around, ready to grab his arm and drag him if need be. But his eyes were fixated on something across the street.

"Who's the new guy?" He asked, suspicious considering no one new ever showed up in town. Regina frowned at his words.

"What are you talking about? No one new ever comes to Storybrooke." She conveniently forgot to mention Emma's random appearance though her lip curled at that thought. But her eyes travelled over to where Henry was staring and froze. Henry just barely managed to stop before crashing into his mom. Surprised at her sudden change, Henry looked up, his brows furrowed.

He had never seen Regina look like that before. Her face was pale and there was a hopeful disbelief clear in her eyes.

"Mom?"

Regina didn't hear him. Instead she took a few tentative steps forward but then stopped herself. This had happened before. He was merely a figment of the fantasy she held close to her heart. She shook her head to clear it and went to turn away. Henry however had a different idea.

"Henry, get back here!" Regina demanded as her son ran forward to the stranger. Of course Henry ignored her.

"Hi! I'm Henry. What brought you to Storybrooke?" To have the innocence and subtleness of a child.

The man looked down at Henry and smiled. "Hello, Henry. I'm Joshua. Honestly, I have no clue." He ran a hand across the back of his head sheepishly. "I don't really remember anything. Suddenly I was just here…"

Regina watched the interaction from across the street. If Henry was speaking with him, then it could be real. This could be her Daniel come back from the dead.

She took a few slow steps, still not wanting to believe what her eyes told her. "Daniel…" She breathed out when she got close enough. Forgetting the memories were gone for everyone else, Regina reached up to caress his cheek. "You're alive."

His eyes watched her warily but he was courteous enough to not embarrass her in public. Henry looked back and forth between them, wondering what had come over his mom.

"It really is you," Regina finally allowed her hopes to grow fully and happiness flooded her face. And then he stared, a frown creasing his brows as if he were trying hard to remember something.

"Do I…Do I know you?"

Unable to refrain after so long, Regina threw her arms around him and kissed him as if to make up for all their lost time. Tears flowed freely down her face.

Daniel was frozen with shock at first but slowly, his arms went around her and he returned the kiss as the memories of past came back to him.

But all too soon he broke the kiss and pulled back to look at her incredulously. "Regina," his voice was soft and almost pained. "What did you do?"

Regina took a second to register what he said. She was too enraptured in the bliss the man before her brought. But his words finally broke through. She tried to smile. It didn't fool either of them. "I did this for you."

Daniel's head shook and he took a step back. "This," he motioned around him. "This is not something my Regina would have done. This is what my Regina loathed and refused to ever become."

Again, Regina turned to disbelief. He was back after so long and he was reprimanding her? She took a step to close the distance between them again but he held an arm out to stop her. "You're not my Regina."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** **After some questions and requests, I have decided to make this a full on story! *crowd cheers* Anyway, I know this chapter is shortish. But I have to set up the next chapter! It'll get good, I promise. **

Regina's eyes were frozen on him. Her mouth looked for words to say, but she could find nothing. His words resounded within her head. Not my Regina.

"Daniel…" Her arms reached out for him, pleading him to take those words back and show her the love they had once shared. She received nothing in return. Her arms dropped to her sides. "I did this for you," was all she could think to say.

Daniel shook his head again, in disappointment, in anger, in pain and sadness. "You did this for yourself, Regina." The tears fell from pain now. Her arms wrapped around her waist as if to hold herself together. Daniel smoothed his features until nothing showed through. "Madame Mayor. Henry." He nodded to the kid and set off on his way. One day his heart was being torn from his body. The next he appeared out of nowhere and was woken up from his trance by a monster. A monster he had once loved.

Regina watched him walk away. She would have stayed there for an eternity if Henry hadn't been there to tug on her sleeve and pull her out of her reverie. "Mom, who was that?"

"No one, Henry," she said, her eyes still on the retreating figure. Finally she tore her eyes from his back and looked down at her son, trying hard to keep a smile on her face for him. The fact she tried to smile only scared him more.

"If you say so," he answered skeptically.

"Don't you have an appointment to get to?" Regina changed the subject brusquely, all business once again. Henry nodded. "Then get going. We won't be having dinner tonight after. Just come straight home." Henry's head was still nodding, subconscious at this point, ready to just leave for his session already. "Straight home." She repeated, her eyes locked on his to make sure he understood. Regina was tiring of him skipping out on her words to spend time with the 'saviour.'

After a quick kiss to his head Regina let him go and headed off in the opposite direction. Rather than going back to her office as she did most days, Regina instead went back to her home. Her walk along the streets was spent with her mind in the past and what had just happened. How could he say she wasn't his Regina? She was. She was still the same woman. Just older and more wise to the pains of the world. But still the same Regina who loved him. The more she replayed the scene the more his words tore through her until she could barely stand anymore. It was one thing to have him ripped from her but to have him deny her himself was even worse, a concept she had previously thought impossible.

As soon as she stepped through the door, she dropped her purse and keys on the floor and found her feet barely dragging up the stairs. At last she made it into her room. She kicked the door shut behind her and fell onto her bed where she curled up in a ball with the ring held tight in her hand and pressed against her lips. She was still his Regina. Wasn't she?


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:**** Here's a little Henry for you! I know there's a lot of theories about how Henry really feels about Regina. This is merely my thinking (or hoping rather) on his feelings for her. **

**Also, I'll be on vacation this week so the next update may take a bit longer than usual. Sorry for keeping you waiting! I'll try to make the next chapter extra good to make up for it. Enjoy! (:**

Dr. Hopper studied Henry closely. Usually the young boy loved to tell his latest theories on his wild idea of the cursed town they all supposedly lived in. But that day, he was unusually quiet and reserved. A frown was set firmly in place as he was lost in his own thoughts. This behavior almost worried Dr. Hopper more than Henry's stories. He leaned forward to get Henry's attention on him again before asking, "Henry, what's on your mind today?"

Henry should have known Jiminy Cricket would know something was distracting him. He was, after all, the embodiment of a conscience. "My mom's acting strange."

"Well, your mother is under a lot of stress. That tends to cause people to behave differently," Dr. Hopper thought Henry was just reading too much into things. But the boy's next words made him change his mind.

"She keeps calling this man by a wrong name. And she kissed him! We've never seen him before and she just kissed him. And when he left, she looked so sad but tried to hide it. She actually smiled at me today," Henry's mind kept replaying over the events, trying to make sense of them. But nothing made sense. His mom was the evil queen and had cursed an entire world just because she wanted to destroy one girl's happiness. She had no feelings!

For once, Dr. Hopper wasn't sure what to say to Henry. He couldn't remember his past or the history of the people residing in Storybrooke, but he did know Regina Mills was not someone who would go around kissing random strangers on the street. "Are you sure this wasn't just a dream you had one night, Henry?" It was the only thing he could think of that could possibly explain the mayor's behavior. It was Henry's mind trying to give his mom some sort of human characteristics he seemed to think she lacked.

"It wasn't a dream! I saw it happen just minutes before I came here," Henry protested.

Dr. Hopper held his hands up. "I believe you, Henry. If this did happen, I think right now your mom needs some show of love. Why don't you go give her a hug and let her know she's not alone?"

"She's the evil queen! She doesn't deserve love," his face was determined.

This is what Dr. Hopper had been trying to fix. No son should hate his mother this much. But Henry remained adamant. "Even evil queens have bad days. When you have a bad day, what does your mom do for you?"

Henry shifted in his seat. "She makes me hot chocolate and watches a movie with me in her bed," he admitted. Maybe Dr. Hopper was right and even evil queens needed someone to give them some attention sometimes.

"I think you know what you need to do now, don't you, Henry?"

The boy nodded and picked up his backpack. "I'll see you next week, Dr. Hopper."

"Goodbye, Henry."

"Mom!" Henry yelled as he opened the door and slid his shoes off next to the front door. There was no answer. "Mo-" he was cut off when he tripped over something, just barely managing to catch himself before he fell. When he turned to find the culprit, the confusion he had been feeling all day grew. His mom's purse and shoes were spread out across the floor as if she hadn't even noticed them dropping off her as she moved in through the house. Having been yelled at on more than one occasion for doing the same thing, this was weird to say the least. He had never once seen her just leave her things lying around the house. After picking them up and placing the purse on the hook by the door and the shoes next to his own pair, Henry trekked deeper into the house, looking for his mother.

She couldn't be found in the kitchen, which was where she usually was cooking dinner for after his sessions. He couldn't find her in the dining room or sitting room either when he passed through those rooms. When he went to check her study, he found the door locked. So she wasn't in there either. That ruled out the first floor. Onto the second. After racing up the stairs, he headed straight for her room. No reason to check his room, he figured.

Even before he could place a hand on the handle to her bedroom door, he could hear sniffling from the other side. Completely forgetting that she was the evil queen at the moment, he only cared that his mom was hurting. Henry burst through the door and to her side as fast as his feet could carry him.

"Mom," his voice was soft, full of concern as he took in her form. She was still in her work clothes which had become wrinkled from her being curled up so tightly in a ball. Her hands were pressed against her lips and tears poured from her eyes, falling down to soak into her hair and her pillow. When he got no response from her, he tried louder. "Mom, what's wrong?" Still no reply. He grabbed onto her shoulder and started to shake her. She remained limp. Her eyes looked right through him, filled with nothing but pain and tears. "Mom, please!" His own eyes started to sting as tears threatened to build. She wasn't supposed to be like this. She was the one who stayed strong all the time and comforted him when he needed it. Henry didn't know what to do. He did the only thing he could think to do and threw his arms around her, adding his tears to hers.

Henry didn't know how much time had passed before he forced himself to wipe away his tears and stand up straight. This was doing nothing to help. There had to be some way to help her. But he was only a kid. What could he do?

An idea hit him. He was hesitant to follow through, knowing how much his mom would loath the idea. But there wasn't anything else he could think of. He ran from the room and across the hall to his room where he reached underneath the pillow. His hand searched around until it landed on a large bulky item. Henry pulled it out and twisted the knob at the top before pressing the button on the side and yelling into the walkie-talkie, "Emma, something bad's happened. I need you. Please come quick!"


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:**** So I lied. I couldn't resist updating this fic. I got my inspiration and I had to take advantage of it! It's been a fickle thing lately and rather pissing me off. But enough of my complaining, you have another chapter to read! I hope you all enjoy this. I know I had a lot of fun writing this one. (:**

Henry flew out of the front door and had his arms wrapped tightly around Emma, sobbing into her jacket. "Woah, kid, what's going on? Did your mom find the book again?" Emma asked, thinking it was just another set back to Operation Cobra. Henry just shook his head, his lower lip trembling. He tugged on her arm, trying to pull her inside. She was too big for him though. He couldn't pull her after him. She grabbed his arm and pulled him around to face her as she dropped to a knee to be at the same eye level as him. "Kid, I can't help unless you tell me what's wrong."

He shifted on his feet, eager to be inside and at Regina's side already. "It's my mom. Something's wrong. You need to help her!"

"What exactly is wrong with her?" Emma knew there were a ton of answers to that question but kept them to herself. But the fact that Henry was showing any kind of concern for his adoptive mother had Emma worried.

"I don't know," Henry replied, hating how much time Emma was wasting. "Just please come help her!"

Emma couldn't deny the eyes that stared back at her, wide and pleading. With a sigh, she stood up and nodded, motioning Henry to lead the way. As soon as she did, Henry ran for the house and up the stairs, not caring that the front door slammed against the wall. Emma followed slower, but still hurried. Any time inside the mayor's house made her cautious. But Henry wouldn't risk their relationship for nothing so she had to trust him.

By the time she had reached the house, Henry was already upstairs, leaning over the banister to yell at her. "Emma, hurry!" He watched her anxiously, still bouncing on his toes. Emma frowned. What could have the kid so worked up? What could possibly be worth risking Regina's wrath? Unless something really was wrong with Regina. That almost scared her even worse; the woman did not go down easily.

"Shit," Emma mumbled under her breath as she placed a hand on the railing and started up the steps. "This could turn out to be really bad." But Henry was worried and Emma knew she would do anything in her power to help Henry. Finally she reached the top step and Henry took her hand in a death grip and almost yanked her arm out of its socket. Emma winced but kept silent as her free hand massaged her now sore shoulder. When had Henry become so strong?

She pulled up short when she realized Henry was pulling her toward Regina's bedroom. 'Well of course, where else would Regina be in time of great distress?' Emma thought to herself, wondering why it took her by surprise. "I don't think your mom would really appreciate me in her room," she told Henry. As usual, he ignored her and continued pulling. Regina was going to have her head for this. And Emma wouldn't exactly blame her when she got around to….her thoughts were cut off when she took in the scene before her. Regina was curled up in a tear soaked ball in one of her power suits. Regina Fucking Mills, the woman who always appeared flawless and done up, was curled up in bed with no obvious regard for her appearance. What the hell was going on here?

Henry dropped Emma's hand finally and rushed to the other side of the bed to replace Emma's hand with Regina's. His face twisted up in an effort to keep the tears at bay, but a few leaked out anyway. Emma's heart tore at the sight. Though she could care less what happened to Regina, Henry was obviously distressed over this and Emma couldn't stand it. Hesitantly, she moved forward. Regina didn't move a muscle. This put some confidence into Emma's step. The woman wasn't about to bite her head off. Her eyes flickered toward Henry who tore his own gaze from his mother's face to look at Emma, his eyes full of fear. But they also held hope. Emma would know what to do. She always knew what to do and she would fix this just like she would break the curse.

Emma sighed and dropped to her knees next to Henry. "Listen, kid-" she tried to start, but Henry cut her off.

"Emma, please," his lower lip began to tremble. She sighed again, this time in defeat, and turned her attention back to Regina again to see what she could do. What she saw shocked her. She had been expecting to see Regina's eyes burning with hatred at the sight of her, or her eyes squeezed shut in a nightmare or something, anything but what was truly there; an emptiness. A despair deeper than she had ever seen in another human being. Regina's eyes gazed right through her, past her, past the room they were in. Wherever they were looking, they were not here. Wherever they were looking left Regina feeling alone. In her eyes was defeat. Regina had given up.

The sight left Emma feeling something for the woman. No matter what Regina had done to her, Emma couldn't find herself happy at the current condition of the mayor. No one deserved to be that broken. Out of nowhere, a prickling built up behind her eyes. The heels of her hands rubbed at the burning sensation. Well this was new, she was actually feeling sad for the Madame Mayor and on the verge of tears. She had never expected that to happen.

When finally her hands dropped, Emma saw Henry staring at her, not bothering to hide his tears anymore. She struggled to find words to say to Henry to alleviate his pain. Her mouth opened and closed a couple times before she shook her head sadly, "I don't know what the problem is, kid." Emma couldn't find it in her to tell him that his mom had seemingly given up on life. "Did something-"

Again Emma's words were cut off, this time by a movement coming from the bed. Both sets of eyes zoned in on that movement, the first sign of life either of them had seen since they had entered the room. Regina's lean fingers were twirling a copper ring between them. More tears pooled up in the vacant eyes. The ring is what really captured Emma's attention. "Henry," she began softly so as not to disturb the patterns Regina was exhibiting, "what does she have in her hand?"

The kid didn't take his eyes off his mom's face as he answered, "It looks like a ring. I've never seen it before though."

Emma's brows furrowed in thought. That ring could be just what she needed to figure this out. But obviously it held some sort of importance to Regina. But…her mind tossed the pros and cons back and forth. While her mind worked, her hand had a mind of its own. Slowly, hesitantly, she reached over for the ring. As soon as her skin grazed the copper, Regina's own hand clasped tightly around it. Emma's eyes moved slowly from the ring to the face behind it. Brown eyes glared at her, a fire burning deep within. Emma scrambled backward, trying to get away from the hatred that oozed off of the now fully-conscious woman. Emma had never seen anyone look so angry.

"_What,_" Regina spat, "_the hell,"_ she pushed herself off of the bed to tower over Emma, "_do you think you are doing?" _Her words rose in pitch until she was screeching at the blonde. "_GET OUT! Get out of my room. Get out of my house. GET. OUT. OF. MY. LIFE!" _Each word had brought her a step forward. Emma had scooted back with each step Regina took until she had nowhere left to go. She had been backed against a wall with the door on the other side of the room. A window was right next to her, but Emma wasn't sure she wanted to risk the fall. Then again, with the way Regina was acting that was looking pretty pleasant.

Regina took another step closer and leaned down until their faces were mere centimeters apart and hissed, "You and your family have ruined my life for the last time. So help me I will..." Words trailed off as Regina's eyes caught movement in front of her house through the window Emma was cowering under. She straightened up and moved closer for a better look. Daniel was walking by, his hands stuffed in his pockets and his head bowed as if in deep thought. Regina's anger quickly dissipated and her entire body drooped as if suddenly too heavy for her. A flick of her wrist was all that Regina offered Emma, a signal that she was to leave. Regina sat on her bed and curled up again.

Emma watched with surprise. _What the hell had just happened?_ But she wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. She still had her life and she was going to leave with it. Quickly, before Regina had another sudden change of mood. Emma pushed herself off the ground and was just about to head for the door when Henry's voice broke through her thoughts. She watched the two of them interact

"Mom, don't leave again," he begged. Desperation filled his voice. Regina hadn't disappeared too far into her reverie yet and had heard him. She frowned.

"Henry, I haven't gone anywhere."

His eyes continued to plead. Regina's eyes softened, something that only Henry seemed to be able to manage, and she reached a hand forward to invite him onto the bed with her. He clambered onto the mattress and settled into her arms. Regina hugged him tightly against her and pressed her lips against his head as her eyes once again took on that far off look. Henry remained oblivious, just glad to be in his mother's arms.

Emma felt a slight pang of jealousy at the mother-son moment they were sharing but she shoved it aside. Regina had been right that first night, being mother was more than just giving birth. But she took in the distance in Regina's expression which reminded her that the mayor wouldn't be a fit mother for much longer if things weren't fixed soon. For Henry's sake, she knew what she had to do. She had to help Regina solve whatever was wrong. A sigh escaped her lips and she ran her fingers through her blonde tresses. "What are you doing to me, kid?" She murmured under her breath.

Henry's hand caught her wrist just as she was about to head toward the door. Emma paused and looked at him, wondering what he wanted with her now that he was wrapped in Regina's arms. Her eyes travelled down to him and she forced a smile, "I promise to help your mom. We'll figure it out." She ruffled his hair, careful to avoid Regina's head, and he dropped her wrist, a small smile finally finding a way into his features.

"Thank you, Emma."

"Don't mention it." Henry's eyes started to drift close and he gripped onto Regina's arm tighter. It was then that Emma realized once of Regina's hands was still clenched in a tight fist. She hadn't let go of that piece of copper. She would have to find a way to get that from the mayor. But she didn't want to risk the wrath of Regina again. It would have to wait until later.

Her promise to Henry in mind, Emma finally left the room. Whatever had stopped Regina from brutally murdering her was definitely worth looking into. Hopefully she wasn't too late to find the distraction.


End file.
